Redemption
by Dani Zatara
Summary: Cassandra's looking for someone to save her life, but she's going to need a lot more than a hero this time. Post-TDK, featuring a whole new collection of heroes and villains.
1. Prologue

_Important Note: This is set about seven months after the Dark Knight. I don't own anything from the DC Universe. And I also appreciate reviews, so please read and tell me what you think. Thanks._

**Redemption**

_Prologue; _

I used to be able to tell the time according to the streets.

Traffic meant five.

Shops closing meant seven.

Streets vendors packing up for the night meant nine.

Groups of rowdy teenagers meant eleven.

Drug dealers meant one and prostitutes meant two.

I didn't usually fall asleep until there were some decent people back on the streets. That meant that I would be waiting up until four, when the bakers and café owners would turn their lights on. Now, everything is different. Things have been ever since the Joker came to town a few months ago. People started staying in, afraid of what might happen to them. I was scared too, you know, that I might just fall asleep in the wrong place one night and never wake up. Someone would see my face on the morning news, all cut up and painted like a clown out of hell. But I had no where to go. And if I ended up dead, nobody watching the news while they ate breakfast would recognize me.

Well…he might.

He's how I keep time now. He visits me every night at ten, but I think he's late tonight. I really wish I had a watch or something. I sit down on the curb, under the street lamp, in plain view for him. I'm not worried about rapists or muggers anymore. Even with the Joker locked up in Arkham, no one comes outside. After nine o'clock he and I have the streets all to ourselves.

"Cassie?"

I don't bother standing or turning around. I just wave, a simple gesture, which kind of contradicts the entire nature of the relationship between him and me. I don't hear him come up behind me, his footsteps trained to be silent. He sits down next to me in a different ensemble than I'm used to. He's wearing jeans and, ironically, a red and green striped shirt. I can't help but to smile at how cute that is.

I rest my head on his shoulder as he drapes an arm around my waist. I figure there's no point in looking up at his face, as I've memorized every detail and contour. I breathe in, smelling the fresh scent of his favourite body wash. I can feel his fingers twitching against my back and I smirk.

"What do you want to tell me?" I ask, finally looking up and seeing his messy dark hair falling in front of his deep blue eyes; his black mask. He laughs and places a light kiss on top of my head.

"You can read me like an open book, you know that?"

"I know," I smile, "But don't be too flattered. I do it to everyone."

"He wants to meet you. Tomorrow night."

"Where?" I ask, unsure if he can hear my heartbeat thundering in my chest.

"Wherever you'll be at ten," he winks and stands up, pulling me with him. Once we're standing, he leans forward and his familiar lips find mine. My arms snake up and around his neck, but he pulls away.

"I can't stay tonight," he tells me, "Are you sure you don't want a hotel or something, just for the night?"

"I'll be fine," I reply, "I always am."

"Right," he kisses me one more time before turning and disappearing into the shadows. Sighing, I sit down and realize that I forgot to ask him what time it is. Oh well, no matter what he would have said, the rest of the night is going to crawl by, especially considering that tomorrow, I'm going to come face to face with Gotham's own Caped Crusader.


	2. One

**One**

I wish I knew what time it is.

The sun went down a while ago, so it has to be past eight. That means my wait time is down to less than two hours. That may not seem too great, but I didn't sleep a wink last night. My stomach is actually still turning as I pace back and forth, just across the street from Arkham. I figure I may as well prove I'm pretty fearless early in the game. Not that I'm not scared of this place. I sure as hell wouldn't want to end up inside with all the loonies. Although, there are probably worse things.

"Interesting place for a meeting."

I whip around; the hairs on my neck standing on end, even though the interruption of my thoughts came from a familiar voice. He laughs when I narrow my eyes at him, showing my disapproval of being scared.

"Are you nervous," he asks, taking a few steps forward and joining me as my gaze trails back to the hell-hole this city has named an asylum.

"Should I be?"

"Yeah." He takes my chin in his hand and lifts it, so that I am looking at his face. My eyes fall to his lips, set in a slash of determination. He's not going to give up on my without a fight.

"I love you," I tell him, even though he already knows.

"I…" his voice trails off and I frown. He hasn't told me he loves me yet, but I understand. Love is a sign of weakness and that's not something he's allowed to have. I guess if tonight goes according to plan, than I won't be able to love anymore either. At least, not out loud.

The roar of a loud engine causes him to let go of my face and we fall into silence as a sleek, black sports car pulls up along the sidewalk. I heard in the news a while back that if anyone spotted the Batmobile, as the papers have nicknamed it, they were to call the police immediately. Something tells me that Gordon only has those articles published to keep his job. I like him.

I feel him slip his hand into mine and squeeze as the door of the high-end sports car, whose name I couldn't tell you for my life, opens up.

The first thing that runs through my mind as the man steps out of the car is, 'Wow, he's huge'. He's at least six feet tall and really buff, although I'm pretty sure the hulking black suit helps. Once he's fully out of the car he looks at us, the two teenagers standing in front of him, hands interlocked.

"Robin," he speaks in a deep, almost gravely voice. I can tell he's disguising himself further and it really makes me wonder what he's hiding under that mask. At the mention of his name, the boy beside me releases my hand and steps up to his mentor. For the first time that night, I realize he's wearing his full costume. Suddenly, with my face exposed for everyone to see, I feel naked. I wish I had a mask to cover myself up, to help me hide from the world.

"Cassandra," Robin looks at me, a smile on his lips as if to tell me everything's going to be okay; although the tension that Batman is giving off make me sincerely doubt that, "This is Batman." He makes a little gesture with his gloved hands towards the man in black. I smile weakly and give a little nod, not wanting to speak in case my voice sounds too squeaky.

"Batman, this is Cassandra Cain."

And this is the most awkward moment of my life. Batman doesn't say anything; he simply stares at me from behind that mask. There is an edgy silence around us and I want to scream, just to break it.

"When was the last time you spoke to your father, Cassandra?"

I feel the blood drain out of my face. The first thing this man says to me has to be _that_. It has to deal with my father? Why am I surprised? Batman knows everything. I wonder if he'll know if I'm lying. Not that I need to lie; I'm not ashamed of that fact that I hate my father.

"Ten years ago," I reply.

"You've been living out here for ten years?" he asks.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because," I say, my voice a bit more snappy than I intended it to be. I'm just really annoyed at the game of twenty-one questions. I wonder how on Earth Robin could have been so sure this meeting would go well. This is a bloody disaster.

"You're going to have to control your temper if you want to work with us, Cassandra," he says, still using that obviously fake voice. There's something there though; some sort of understanding. I can tell from the way he leans a little bit lower and his voice turns a bit softer. Still, I was never really one to have a controlled temper.

"Who says I want to work with you?" At my question, Robin's face falls. He thinks I've gone and screwed up royally, but I don't think so. Batman straightens up, but there is a relaxed air in his moves, as if he's among friends.

"You're not the only one who can read people Cassandra." And without another word, he turns. Robin follows close behind him, but not before turning and winking at me. That's a good thing. He only winks when he's happy. Most people are like that.

The two costumed men hop into the still unnamed sports car and it quickly speeds off into the night, towards the heart of the Narrows. I am left standing on the side of the road, by myself, still in front of Arkham. Maybe it's my mind playing tricks on me, but I swear I can hear cackling coming from inside those walls.

As I begin to walk away, something glints in the light of the streetlamp, catching my eye. I bend down and see that there's a key, lying on the sidewalk. I know it wasn't there earlier. I pick it up and look at it closely. There's an addressed engraved in the aluminium. I recognize the street name; it's just a few blocks to the south, the same direction that Batman drove away in. Very subtle.

Laughing, I start walking down the street, still hearing those awful cackles from Arkham. Something bad was happening in there.

_--_

_Please review and let me know what you thought. Also, if you haven't figured it out yet, Cassandra is not an original character, she is property of DC, just in case there was any confusion. _


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